Oommen Chandy government decision to accept land tax scraped

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI(M) led LDF government on Wednesday decided to scrap the Oommen Chandy regime's controversial decision permitting Poabs estate to pay land tax for about 800 acres plantation area in Neliampathy in Palakkad district in its possession.

The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan following a recommendation by a ministerial sub committee.

At a time when there was a dispute over its ownership in a court, the Congress government had in March last year decided to accept tax for Karuna estate which was in the possession of Poabs.

After the present government came to power, it had set up a ministerial sub committee to go into various controversial cabinet decisions taken by the previous UDF government from January one to April 30 last year, during its last days in power.

The sub committee had found that accepting tax when the ownership dispute was on was not proper. The decision had been taken to help the plantation owners, a press release said.

The cabinet also entrusted Revenue Additional Chief Secretary to recommend steps for collecting tax outstanding for 4.27 acres of leased land with the Thiruvananthapuram Tennis club.

The previous government had decided to renew the lease after collecting only 0.2 per cent of dues.